An Evaluation of Fresh Water Sediments Contamination: the Lachine Canal Sediments Case,Montréal,Canada. Part I: Quality Assessment

Due to industrialization over the past 100 years, the sediments at the bottom of the Lachine Canal and Bay have become contaminated. This study investigated the heavy metal accumulation mechanisms within the Lachine Canal sediments and was carried out in three phases. Phase I is covered in the present article, while phases II and III will be discussed in a following paper. During Phase I, 28 parameters were measured on 44 sediment samples collected along the Lachine Canal and Bay. The results revealed the presence of a wide variety of both organic and inorganic contaminants. Heavy metals such as Zn < Pb < Cr < Ni < Cu < Cd (in order of decreasing abundance) in addition to organic contaminants (PAHs < MAHs < PCBs) were found in high concentrations exceeding background concentrations and various quality criteria levels. The total load of both organic and inorganic contaminants was found to be higher in the canal than in the bay zone. Correlation analysis was performed to evaluate sediment assessment values with respect to known adsorptive phases such as % clay fraction, TOC (Total Organic Carbon), and % CaCO₃. Although a positive correlation existed between % clay fraction or TOC and the total cumulative load of heavy metals, the correlation could not be assessed as conclusive. Significant correlations were obtained between Pb, Ni, and Zn and the carbonate content of the sediments. Pollution Indices (PI) were used according to the format proposed by Canadian authorities and as such were evaluated as incomplete.     

Mercury Flux to Sediments of Lake Tahoe, California–Nevada

We report estimates of mercury (Hg) flux to the sediments of Lake Tahoe, California–Nevada: 2 and 15–20 µg/m²/year in preindustrial and modern sediments, respectively. These values result in a modern to preindustrial flux ratio of 7.5–10, which is similar to flux ratios recently reported for other alpine lakes in California, and greater than the value of 3 typically seen worldwide. We offer plausible hypotheses to explain the high flux ratios, including (1) proportionally less photoreduction and evasion of Hg with the onset of cultural eutrophication and (2) a combination of enhanced regional oxidation of gaseous elemental Hg and transport of the resulting reactive gaseous Hg to the surface with nightly downslope flows of air. If either of these mechanisms is correct, it could lead to local/regional solutions to lessen the impact of globally increasing anthropogenic emissions of Hg on Lake Tahoe and other alpine ecosystems.     

Heavy Metal–Mineral Associations in Coeur d’Alene River Sediments: A Synchrotron-Based Analysis

Nearly a century of mining activities upstream have contaminated Lake Coeur d’Alene and its tributaries with Pb, Zn, and other heavy metals. Heavy metal concentrations in sediments of the Coeur d’Alene watershed have been shown to be inversely proportional to the sediment size fraction; thus, analysis on a very small scale is essential to determine the mobility and stability of heavy metals in this environment. Micron-scale synchrotron-based methods were used to determine the association of heavy metals with solid phases in sediments of the Coeur d’Alene River. Bulk X-ray diffraction (XRD), extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, and synchrotron-based microfocused XRD combined with microfocused X-ray fluorescence mapping indicate the presence of crystalline Pb- and Zn-bearing mineral phases of dundasite [Pb₂Al₄(CO₃)₄(OH)₈·3H₂O], coronadite [PbMn₈O₁₆], stolzite [PbWO₄], mattheddleite [Pb₁₀(SiO₄)_3.5(SO₄)₂Cl₂], bindheimite [Pb₂Sb₂O₇], and smithsonite [ZnCO₃]. Likely phases for Zn and Pb adsorption were ferrihydrite, diaspore [AlO(OH)], manganite [Mn^(III)O(OH)], muscovite [KAl₂(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH,F)₂], biotite [K(Fe,Mg)₃AlSi₃O₁₀(F,OH)₂], and montmorillonite [Na_0.3(Al,Mg)₂Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂·8H₂O]. The large predominance of Fe and Mn (hydr)oxides over other sorbent minerals suggests that the metal sorption behavior is dominated by these (hydr)oxide phases.     

Lake Sediments from Dianchi Lake： A Phosphorus Sink or Source？

Dianchi Lake is a highly eutrophic lake in southwestern China where phosphorus (P) is the limiting element for eutrophication and where lake sediments play an important role in the P cycle. One hundred and eighteen sites were sampled throughout Dianchi Lake in 2002 to investigate the P loading of the lake sediments, while fresh surface sediments were studied in the laboratory to clarify its role for phosphorus. The results showed that concentrations of total phosphorus(TP) in sediments were very high, with a maximum value of 6.66 g kg^-1, and decreased with sediment depth. P adsorption on surface sediments was rapid with adsorption amounts higher in acidic than in alkaline conditions. The release experiments showed that P release increased as pH rose from 7.0 to 10.5. Additionally, compared with aerobic conditions, P release was much higher under anaerobic conditions, especially with low P content in the lake water. At present, the sediments in Dianchi Lake still function as a sink for phosphorus at high P levels in lake water. However, if the external P load was reduced and P content in lake water became low, the sediment would have a large potential for P release under anaerobic conditions.     

Some comments on: Mao et al. (2018) “Bibliometric analysis of insights into soil remediation” Journal of Soils and Sediments, 18(7): 2520–2534

In order to improve the bias of using the Web of Science databases for bibliometric studies, the “front page” has been proposed by Ho’s group in 2012. Using the “front page” as the filter resulted in a huge difference compared to the method from the original paper of Mao et al. Furthermore, a cited reference plays an important role in a published paper. Readers are interested in the paper’s statements and might find useful information from the following researches. The reference section is an important part in a paper; however, it was easily ignored by the authors. This comment also offered information for citing the original idea of publication indicators used for the comparison of countries’ and institutions’ publication performances.

     

Applying Chemometrics to Determine Dispersion of Mine Tailing-Affected Sediments from Submarine Tailing Disposal in Bøkfjorden,Northern Norway

Mine tailing management is one of the largest environmental issues related to mining operation. This study uses chemometrics to assess the dispersion of iron mine tailing-affected sediments in Bøkfjorden, Northern Norway. Metal concentrations (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) and physico-chemical sediment characteristics (conductivity, organic matter, sulphate, chloride, grain size, CaCO₃, pH) were analysed in seven sediment cores collected in a transect out of the fjord along with two reference cores. Results of hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis allowed to distinguish between mine tailing-affected and non-affected sediments. Non-affected sediments were especially characterised by high levels of organic matter whilst mine tailing-affected sediments varied significantly in sediment characteristics depending on location in the fjord. Crucial parameters to reveal mine tailing-affected sediments varied between the target metal Fe along with metals of Cd and Mn, albeit less significant. Variations in mine tailing-affected sediment characteristics could be attributed to other anthropogenic activities in the fjord. Despite potential disturbances, chemometrics made it possible to identify dispersion of mine tailing-affected sediments to cover the inner and middle parts of the fjord. The study demonstrates the advantage of applying chemometrics on complex fjord systems, which in this case was used to distinguish mine tailing-affected sediments from areas with elevated levels of metals not necessarily related to the mine.     

Reply to comments on: Mao et al. (2018) “Bibliometric analysis of insights into soil remediation” Journal of Soils and Sediments, 18(7):2520–2534

Journal of Soils and Sediments -     

Sediments in urban river basins: a review of sediment–contaminant dynamics in an environmental system conditioned by human activities

Background, aim and scope  Over 50% of the global population live in urban centres and, therefore, an understanding of the processes acting upon urban systems is a global issue. The nature of human-made, often impervious, land surfaces and heavily engineered waterways results in hydrological and sedimentological systems in urbanised basins which contrast significantly to those within more natural (i.e. pristine, forested, agricultural) aquatic systems. In addition, the abundance of contamination sources in urban systems results in chemical pressures often manifested as high pollution concentrations or loadings, which in turn have detrimental impacts on human and ecosystem health. These lead to management and sustainability issues not generally encountered in more natural environments. The purpose of this review is to provide a state-of-the-art assessment of sediment sources, pathways and storage within urban river systems, to consider sediment management within urban systems and river basins, and examine the role of local and global environmental changes on sediment processes and management. Inevitably, much of the sediment that is transported within urbanised basins is contaminated, so this review also considers sediment–contaminant sources and interactions. Conclusions and recommendations  We reach a number of conclusions and recommendations for future research. There is a need for better sampling and monitoring of sediment and sediment-associated contaminant fluxes and cycling in urban river channels and basins. This should include better techniques and studies to identify sources and transfers of road-deposited sediment (RDS), airborne particulate matter and sediments in the river system. Greater interdisciplinary research, combining sedimentologists, hydrologists, urban planners, urban archaeologists, chemists and biologists, is needed. More attention needs to focus on upscaling and connecting urban areas to the rest of the river basin, both upstream and downstream. Finally, there is a need to balance multiple needs (urban population, water resources) with likely trends in both urban development and global environmental change.     

Clay Mineralogy of the Wadi M’Goun Sediments,Their Source,and Distribution on the Southern Flank of the Central High Atlas Mountains (Morocco)

Eurasian Soil Science - Clay minerals are regarded as the most critical chemical and weathering components in ground. To establish the origin and distribution of the clay mineral associations of...     

Behavior of Insecticide Chlorpyrifos on Soils and Sediments with Different Organic Matter Content from Provincia de Buenos Aires, República Argentina

Buenos Aires Province (República Argentina) has undergone, in the last years, a great increase in agricultural activities based on the incorporation of new technologies and reduction of diversity to meet the increasing food demand. The increase of intensive agricultural systems in Argentina involves the use of fertilizers and pesticides such as herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. Chlorpyrifos is one of the insecticides most widely used in these crops and constitutes a risk for human health, birds, and aquatic biota such as macroinvertebrates and fishes. In order to assess the possible contamination that the use of this product may represent for the environment, it is necessary to study its interaction with the different types of soils because fate and transport of environmental pollutants may be influenced by their interactions with soil particles. The behavior of chlorpyrifos was analyzed through the study of the recoveries from spiked solid environmental matrices. A strong dependence with organic matter content was observed along with an important dependence with the initial concentrations employed. Here, we show that chlorpyrifos behavior on solid matrices not only depends on soil chemical composition. A significant dependence of recovery percentages with initial concentrations of the pesticide was evident in all cases. Recovery percentages decreased with an increase of the initial concentration employed, no matter the variations in matrices of chemical compositions.     

Retraction Note to: “Hassan W,David J (2014) Effect of lead pollution on soil microbiological index under spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) cultivation. J Soils Sediments 14: 44–59

Journal of Soils and Sediments - This article has been retracted by the Editors-in-Chief.     

Geochemical and Mineralogical Features of Overbank and Stream Sediments of the Beal Wadi (Cartagena-La Union Mining District, SE Spain): Relation to Former Lead�CZinc Mining Activities and Its Environmental Risk

Heavy metals and some major element concentrations were investigated in overbank sediments and stream bed sediments of the ephemeral Beal wadi creek in the Cartagena-La Union mining district (SE Spain). Two vertical sediment profiles were extracted and the chemical and mineralogical compositions were both investigated by X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. Geochemical variations in vertical profiles of these two kinds of sediments allow observing noticeable heavy metals pollution (especially Fe, Pb, and Zn) in both kind of sediments but especially in the overbank sediments (reaching values of approximately 13% Fe, 6% Pb, and 6% Zn). A single extraction (DIN 38414-S4 leaching test) was made to observe the transfer of metals from solids to liquid phase. Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd contents surpass the leaching values established by the DIN 38414-S4 limits established by Spanish legislation to consider these wastes as hazardous wastes. Geochemical comparison between leaching behavior of the two types of sediments reveals a major ability of overbank sediments in transferring heavy metals to the water flow.